


Joyeux Noelle

by Snowflake19



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: F/F, Noelle - Freeform, santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:49:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28300410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snowflake19/pseuds/Snowflake19
Summary: A very special kind of Christmas gift finds its way to Chloe...
Relationships: Chloe Beale & Beca Mitchell, Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell
Comments: 21
Kudos: 137





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Hburkett](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hburkett/gifts).



> Wrote this little nugget specifically for a friend I met on Tumblr. So... here's to hoping she likes it! :)

Turning another page of her book over, Chloe let out a soft sigh. She barely even remembered what she had just read, and at this point the novel in her lap was merely a way to pass the time until she had to get ready for bed. The novel wasn’t good - it wasn’t bad either - but Chloe felt a certain unease in her stomach that kept her from being immersed in the story.

Taking a look around the room, she told herself to stop being silly and dramatic. Her life was good. It was Christmas Eve, the christmas tree was happily twinkling in the corner, several wrapped gifts underneath it. A small fire was lit in the fireplace, keeping the room comfortably warm, and her daughter was sleeping soundly upstairs, undoubtedly tired out from her attempts to stay up and catch Santa in the act.

Still… it was Christmas Eve, and Chloe was sitting on the couch with a mediocre novel to keep her company, and no one else. She and Tom had gotten divorced three years ago, mere weeks after the birth of their daughter. Last she’d heard, Tom was living it up in Vegas with his supermodel girlfriend, never sparing a thought of his ex-wife and daughter.

But that was fine. They didn’t need him in their lives to be happy.

Her eyes were drawn back to the gifts underneath the Christmas tree. She knew the large one to be a dollhouse - sent by her parents - that would undoubtedly make Lucy very happy. The smaller one was a new Disney-Princess backpack, which Chloe’s brother had sent over. There were three smaller gifts that Chloe had bought herself - dolls to go with the dollhouse, a case with colored crayons and a sketchbook. 

None of them, of course, were the iPad Lucy had asked Santa to gift her this year. There simply wasn’t any money for such an extravagant gift.

\--

Her first thought was that, somehow, she must have dozed off. Something had drawn her out of her slumber, and Chloe slowly pushed herself into a sitting position again, picking her novel up from the floor. The fire in the fireplace had gone out, and the only light now came from the Christmas tree.

Her ears picked up a muffled sound she couldn’t quite place. Sitting entirely unmoving, Chloe cocked her head when the sound made itself known again, trying to pinpoint it. When she heard it again, she frowned in confusion, because it sounded an awful lot like… someone was coming down the chimney.

She scoffed at herself. Obviously, all the Christmas movies she’d been watching with Lucy were getting to her. 

She got to her feet, fully intending to go upstairs and crawl into bed. The moment she got up from the couch, however, was also the exact moment  _ something _ landed in the fireplace with a distinct ‘oomph.’

Not a something. A  _ someone. _

Chloe watched wide-eyed as the petite figure, dressed in red and wearing a goddamn Santa hat, turned around in the fireplace, dusting the soot off their clothes, and revealed themselves to be a…  _ woman _ ?

“Ugh, Polly is going to be so mad,” the woman muttered to herself. “Don’t get soot all over your clothes, she said. Like, how am I supposed to do my job without getting covered in soot? I climb down chimneys, Polly, remember?”

“Um…” Chloe muttered dumbly, drawing the woman’s attention.

“Oh…” the woman stammered upon taking notice of her, freezing in her tracks, one foot still in the fireplace. “This… is not supposed to happen.”

They stood there for several minutes, silently staring at one another in confusion. “Why… are you not asleep?” the brunette invader asked after a good while.

“I… was,” Chloe responded hesitantly. “The better question is, who are you and why did you come down my chimney?”

The other woman’s expression shifted from confusion into something that made Chloe feel all the more stupid. “Um, red pants? Red vest? Red hat?” the woman spoke slowly, pointing at each article of clothing as she named it. “Big bag of toys over yonder?” she continued, pointing at a bag Chloe had - somehow - not noticed until now. “I’m… Santa.”

“Santa doesn’t exist,” Chloe pointed out with no small degree of certainty. She took a close look at the woman in front of her. She certainly dressed the part of Santa, but did nothing to disprove her earlier statement. This  _ wasn’t _ Santa. This was a tiny brunette, with a sharp jawline and pretty blue eyes, dressed in an admittedly very well-made Santa costume.

“Dude, I’m literally standing right in front of you,” the ‘Santa’ scoffed. “So that is actually a little hurtful.”

“How did you get on my roof?” Chloe asked, eyes narrowing.

“Flying sleigh, pulled by reindeer,” fake-Santa shrugged. “Do you not watch any movies?”

“If movies are to be believed, Santa is supposed to be an old fat guy with a white beard,” Chloe pointed out sarcastically.

“That’s my father,” the woman nodded. “Though he’s lost a lot of weight lately, I’ll have you know.”

“This is ridiculous,” Chloe huffed with a roll of her eyes. In return, Santa-lady rolled her eyes as well. “Did you just roll your eyes at me?” 

“I don’t see why you’re being so difficult. I literally just dropped in to leave an iPad for Lucy, that’s all,” the woman sighed, rummaging around in her bag and pulling out a flat, rectangular gift-wrapped box. 

“An iPad?” Chloe stammered, because how did this stranger now that Lucy wrote Santa asking for exactly that?

“Yeah,” Santa-lady nodded. “She’s been a really great kid this year, so she gets the top-shelf gift she asked for. That’s how Christmas works, right?”

“Right…” Chloe murmured, watching the woman placing the gift underneath the tree. “Oh, I bet she’s going to love the backpack,” the brunette nodded to herself. “The sketchbook, too. She’s got real talent. The drawing she sent me actually looks a lot like you,” she smiled. “Well, you know, for a three-year-old, that is.”

And just like that, the woman stepped back into the fireplace, peering up into the darkness. “Snowcone, you lazy ball of fluff!” she hissed. “Get me out of here! Code Red, Code Red! I’ve been  _ caught _ !”

Chloe’s eyes widened as she watched the woman’s feet lifting off the floor. She dashed forward, peering up into the chimney and literally seeing the (maybe-not-so) fake-Santa floating out onto the roof.

When she heard the jingle of bells coming from outside, she dashed towards the window. She was just in time to see a large red sleigh flying off, drawn by several majestic white reindeer, and one small, white, fluffy mini-reindeer. 

Dropping back onto the couch, Chloe replayed the entire event in her mind. It had barely taken more than a minute, but her entire life seemed to have been turned around. Santa  _ was _ real, and Santa was a  _ woman _ , and Chloe had just talked to her, and  _ insulted _ her, and also, damn, Santa was kinda cute?

\--

It had been a  _ long _ night.

Of course, the magic of Christmas always made sure she got to all the children’s homes in time to deliver all the gifts and presents before sunrise.

But it had been a  _ long _ night.

While she appreciated their enthusiasm, she really wished children wouldn’t try to stay up and catch Santa in the act of delivering their presents. It made her work a lot harder when she had to double-back everytime one of the children wasn’t asleep yet - not to mention the very few who actually managed to hold out all night, forcing her to use even more of her Christmas magic to remain undetected.

And then there were  _ pets _ . It wasn’t that she hated animals… they were just a massive inconvenience if you were a well-meaning home intruder entering homes through chimneys and windows, in the middle of the night. 

And then there had been that one adult… Lucy’s mom.

Her name was Chloe, she remembered. Lucy’s parents had gotten divorced shortly after she was born, and Lucy spent all of her time with her mother - who doted on her and gave her everything she needed, even when money was a little tight from time to time.

“Ah, Noelle, there you are,” Polly smiled as she parked the sleigh in the shed and disembarked. “Took you long enough.”

“I literally had to fly around the entire world, stopping at about a third of all the homes, Polly,” she smiled sweetly. “I’d love to hear how you think I could’ve done faster.”

“Well, that incident with the doberman,” Polly smiled equally as sweetly.

“Oh, don’t even go there,” she warned her, following Polly out of the barn and into the cold, cold air of the North Pole. “Oh, I encountered an adult, by the way,” she remarked casually, stopping Polly dead in her tracks.

“You what?”

“Encountered. An. Adult,” she repeated, enunciating every word as if Polly were a toddler - sometimes she just got her kicks out of riling the old elf up.

“Impossible,” Polly decided, red-tipped nose high in the air.

“Well, it happened,” she told her with a shrug. “Don’t know what to tell you, but it did.”

“Who?” Polly demanded to know.

“Lucy’s mom,” she answered. “Um, Barden, Atlanta. The house at the end of the road that has the McDonald’s on it?”

“Noelle, you’re Santa. You know every kid and their parents. I’m Polly, I’m your head elf. I oversee the manufacturing of the toys and handle matters on the North Pole during the eleven months a year you are not present. I do not know all the kids.”

“Then why did you ask who it was?” she huffed. “Obviously, you weren’t going to know her!”

“It will create the impression that I do when I go and brief your father on this incident.”

“I can tell him myself,” she huffed again, stomping ahead of Polly towards the main house. When she opened the door, she sighed at the warmth of the massive fireplace.

“Beca’s back!” her brother cheered.

“Hey Luke,” she smiled, wincing as their parents tutted.

“It’s  _ Noelle _ , Nicholas. You know this!”

“Go easy on him,” she pleaded to her parents. “It does get pretty confusing, having a different name in December from the rest of the year.”

“Very well,” her father - she still thought of him as Santa in secret - nodded. “How did the night go?”

“I did not get bitten this year,” Noelle smiled. “That’s a win, right?”

“She encountered an adult,” Polly intervened before her father could respond. “Chloe, mother of Lucy, living in Barden, Atlanta. At the end of the road with the-”

“McDonalds,” the bearded man nodded, rubbing his chin. “Sweet kid, sweet kid. Asked for an iPad, I assume?”

“She did,” Noelle nodded.

“Her mother was a sweet kid too, back in the day… How was she?”

“Lucy? Or her mother?”

“Both.”

“Well, Lucy was asleep,” she shrugged. “Her mom wasn’t. She called you fat, and told me I didn’t exist.”

“Ho-ho-ho!” the old man chuckled. “That sounds like her, alright!”

She winced when the door was slammed open again, a young elf stumbling in. “Santa-mail!”

“You’re one day late, my friend,” she smiled at the elf. “Christmas is over.”

“Well, this just came in, so…” the elf wavered, holding the envelope out. 

She took it, folding it open with a dramatic sigh - mostly for effect, because she loved Santa-mail. 

_ Dear Santa, _

_ I feel silly writing a letter to someone who doesn’t exist. I haven’t written a letter to Santa in over fifteen years now. I don’t even think you’ll get this letter, because I’m just going to put it in a stocking here in my living room, and obviously you don’t see what I do. Right? _

_ But then how did you know what Lucy wanted for Christmas? I suppose Santa *does* exist, huh? I guess that means I owe you an apology for denying your existence. And for calling your father (?) fat. And old. That wasn’t nice of me. _

_ Even though I don’t think you’ll get this letter, I’m still asking you to forgive me for being mean to you. I would prefer apologizing in person, but you must be really busy, what with Christmas and everything.  _

_ Signed, _

_ Chloe. _

She felt her cheeks turning up in a pleased little grin, doing a hop and a twirl on her spot. “Chloe wrote me a letter!” she beamed. “I got a letter from an adult!”

Her father took the letter from her, eyes skimming over the lines. “Seems she’s still a nice girl,” he chuckled, handing the letter off to his wife. “What will you do now?”

She shrugged, not really knowing the answer. “Not much I can do, can I? I have five days left before I go back to being Beca, and Beca doesn’t get to use all of Noelle’s knowledge of people, because that would be unfair.”

“Walk with me,” her father gestured. “No, no, just Noelle,” he insisted when Polly and Luke - sorry,  _ Nicholas _ \- tried to follow. “This is something just for Santas.”

She frowned as they walked down the corridors, her father’s arm around her shoulder, squeezing her to his side. “You’ve done exceptionally well these past two years of being Santa, Noelle,” he started.

“Um, three, you mean,” she corrected him gently.

“No, the first year was a disaster,” her father chuckled, turning the corner and heading to what she called the ‘Ex-Santa Office,’ as opposed to her own office. “I am very proud of you, though. I want you to know that.”

“Thanks, dad,” she smiled. She skipped in place as she waited for her father to enter his office, round the desk, and sit down in the oversized leather chair. Only when he gestured to one of the fauteuils did she sit down, too.

“Look at you, Christmas Eve has come and gone, and you’re still full of energy,” he smiled appreciatively. 

“It’s the season,” she smiled widely.

“Hm, indeed! A few more days, and you get to go back to the real world…”

“Beca Mitchell for exactly eleven months,” she nodded. “And then back to the North Pole to prepare Christmas for the entire world again.”

Her father nodded. “Did I ever tell you how I met your mother?”

Thrown for a loop by the sudden change in subject, she shook her head. She watched eagerly as her father got up, pulling an old tome from one of the shelves and opening it on a seemingly random page. 

“This is the most important book we have here on the North Pole,” he told her gravely. “It contains all the information on Christmas that exists. Here, have a look.”

He turned the book around, and she found herself looking at a list of Santas throughout the ages. “My ancestors,” she breathed reverently, running her finger down the list of names until she found her grandfather, then her father, and surprisingly, all the way at the bottom - her own name.”

Her father pulled the book back towards himself. “It also neatly lists all the rules Santa’s need to adhere to…”

Nodding, she began rattling them off. “All Christmas gifts must be delivered between sundown on Christmas Eve and sunrise on Christmas proper. The naughty-and-nice list must,  _ must _ , be green-lighted by the head elf, as well as Santa him-slash-herself. No children may be allowed to meet Santa during the big night. The sleigh must never be left unattended-”

“Yes, yes,” her father interrupted good-naturedly. “I know you’ve learned them by heart, Noelle. But there are more rules than you know of. Older rules, and more complicated rules. One of those rules applied to me when I met your mother. And now, it would seem, it applies to you as well.”

He turned a few pages before sliding the book back around to her. Peering at the worn paper, she read the passage out loud. “When the December-month ends, Santa is no longer allowed to act on - or otherwise utilize - the knowledge of the trade. If Santa ventures away from the North Pole outside December, he will act as a normal human without Christmas magic, and disregard all knowledge of both children and adults, acquired through the Santa-trade. Wait, dad, I  _ know _ this!” she interrupted her own reading. “That’s literally what I said before.”

“Keep reading, Noelle.”

With a theatrical sigh, she continued on to the next paragraph. “The sole exception to this rule occurs in the highly unlikely event that an adult meets Santa during the labors of his trade, and a  _ true _ connection is formed between the two humans. If Santa desires it, he is allowed to pursue romantic interests acquired during December, even after the month ends and Santa leaves the North Pole.”

She and her father both remained quiet. Her father looked like he was waiting for something, though she really couldn’t tell what that was. “Wait?” she suddenly blurted, eyes widening. “Romantic interests?”

Her father leaned back in his chair, folding his hands over his belly and raising his eyebrows. “Wait… You know?!”

“Know what, Noelle?”

“That I um… prefer women?” she hedged carefully.

“Of course I’ve known, Noelle,” her father smiled easily. “I was Santa for decades. I knew everything about every child on the planet! And you think I wouldn’t even know something like this about my own daughter?”

“In hindsight, that was stupid,” she nodded. “So does this mean… I’m allowed to go see her? After December, I mean? As Beca?”

Her father nodded. “Indeed. But why wait? There’s no rule saying  _ Santa _ can’t go meet her. You still have five days left as Santa, Noelle. I know for a fact that the sleigh is a great way to impress the ladies,” he grinned.

“Dad! Ew!” she winced. “Don’t tell me you and mom did it in  _ my _ sleigh?”

“It was my sleigh, back in the day,” was her father’s only response.

\--

Chloe woke up early on Christmas morning, warmly ensconced in her bed. It was stupid - ridiculous, even - but she still believed she had actually met Santa last night. And  _ she _ was cute as hell. At the mere memory of Santa, she threw on some easy clothes and hurried down the stairs, peeking into the stocking where she’d left her letter last night.

Finding the stocking empty made her stomach do a little somersault. She had felt ridiculous writing a letter to Santa, but by the looks of it, the message had been delivered. Somehow. Magically?

Mere seconds after she’d checked the stocking, she heard a door slamming upstairs, followed by rapid footsteps down the stairs, and then Lucy came bounding into the room, clad in her PJs, making a bee-line for the Christmas tree.

“Presents!” she squealed.

“Easy there,” Chloe laughed, picking her daughter up mid-run and pulling her close. “What do we say first, Luce?”

“Good morning, momma!” she smiled brightly, planting a wet kiss on her cheek. 

“And then?”

“Thank you Santa!” she screamed from the top of her lungs, making Chloe’s ear ring. 

“Alright then, go!” Chloe cheered. “Have at ‘em!”

Lucy tore into her presents like a feral tiger, ripping the wrapping paper to shreds and leaving the remnants of it scattered all throughout the living room. “Look!” she beamed. “I got a dollhouse!” 

“That’s so cool!” Chloe smiled, kneeling down next to her daughter to look at the giant dollhouse her parents had bought. “Oh, oh, oh, a drawing book, mom!” Lucy continued, already having moved on to the next gift. “Now I can draw all the time!”

“I guess you can, huh?” Chloe grinned, chuckling as Lucy instantly went over to the next gift. 

“Oooh, pretty backpack!”

“That’ll come in handy when you go to school,” Chloe pointed out, watching her daughter clutching it to her chest with an enthusiastic nod. “There’s one more, over there,” she pointed out for her daughter.

Lucy immediately snatched the box from the floor, suddenly unusually careful - almost as if she knew what was hidden underneath the fancy wrappings. “Momma!” she gasped when she tore the paper away. “Look, momma! It’s an iPad!” 

“I see that, baby,” Chloe smiled. “I guess Santa knows how good you’ve been this year.”

“Thank you Santa! Thank you!” she screamed into the fireplace, making Chloe laugh at her daughter’s antics. “Can I play with it now?”

“No, Luce. Breakfast first, then you can play with your new toys.”

\--

Today had been exhausting. Lucy had been bouncing off the walls all day, leaving a mess in her wake wherever she went. Christmas day, however, was the one day Chloe would let her get away with it, fondly remembering the excitement from the Christmasses in her younger years - when she had still believed in Santa.

With Lucy now tired out and peacefully sleeping again, Chloe had settled on the couch with a glass of wine, iPad in her lap. She felt silly for it, but had nevertheless entered ‘Santa’ into the Google search bar, wondering what would come up. 

Obviously, it had only been the regular Santa information and images. Nothing about a female Santa, or one actually existing.

With a sigh, she shut the iPad down, placing it on the table next to her and reaching for her wine glass. She stopped halfway when she heard an all too familiar sound. Even though she’d heard it for the first time last night, she had no doubt those were the sounds of someone coming down the chimney.

And, indeed, a few seconds later a lithe figure landed in the soot. Dusting off her clothes, she carefully stepped out of the fireplace. 

“You came back,” Chloe exclaimed with a wide smile. 

“I… did,” the woman nodded, watching her with a guarded expression. “I um… I got your letter.”

“I hoped you might,” Chloe nodded. “I wasn’t really certain how it worked, though. You seemed to have gotten Lucy’s, so I figured mine might work the same way.”

“It did,” Santa nodded. “Um, you’re the first adult to write Santa a letter in a long time, though,” she added with an awkward chuckle.

Chloe bit her lip, feeling the waves of awkwardness rippling off of Santa. “Well, I um… I just wanted to apologize, I guess. In person, I mean. It wasn’t nice of me to insist you didn’t exist… In my defense, I thought you were a weird holiday-burglar.”

“I… cannot blame you for that,” Santa grinned, white-gloved hands clasped in front of her. 

“And um, that stuff about your father? Sorry about that, too,” Chloe winced.

“Oh, he took no offense. People have called him worse, trust me.”

“Yeah, no, of course,” Chloe nodded, after which they fell into an awkward silence again.

“So, um, if that was all, I’ll just-” Santa spoke after a while, pointing over her shoulder, at the fireplace. 

At the mere gesture, Chloe suddenly found herself overcome with a  _ need _ to keep Santa from leaving. She was full of questions, after all, and… No, she was  _ just _ full of questions, and the fact that Santa was a cute chick had nothing to do with it. “Don’t go yet!” she blurted out. “Um, would you like something to drink?”

Santa seemed genuinely taken aback by the question, rocking on her heels for a moment before she gave a dumbfounded nod. 

“Um, I have milk,” Chloe started carefully. “Or um… other things?”

To her surprise, Santa let out a bark of laughter. “I’ve had enough milk for the rest of the year, thank you,” she chuckled. “I’ll have a glass of wine, if that’s okay?”

“Yes! Of course,” Chloe nodded, practically running to the kitchen to retrieve a bottle of wine and a clean glass. She halfway expected Santa to be gone by the time she returned, but the brunette was still standing in the middle of the room, idly rocking on her heels.

“You can sit, if you want,” Chloe suggested, and she smiled as Santa nodded to herself and sat down at the very edge of the couch. “Make yourself comfortable, please,” Chloe continued.

Santa nodded to herself again, taking off her white gloves, folding them, and placing them on the table in front of them. After a moment’s consideration, she took off the hat, too, placing it atop the gloves. “Thank you,” she smiled as she accepted the glass of wine, immediately taking a sip.

After a few seconds of silence, Chloe could no longer contain her curiosity. “So, Santa,” she started. “Is that your name?”

Santa actually scoffed at the question, shaking her head. “What kind of a dumb name would that be? No, Santa isn’t a name. It’s a job,” she explained. “You don’t call your kid accountant, either. Or plumber. Though, there are a few Bakers, and Deacons, and Hunters, and… well, you get the point, right?”

“Yes,” Chloe nodded with a grin. “So, what is Santa’s name, then?”

“That’s… complicated,” Santa frowned with pursed lips, expression softening after another sip of wine. “Right now, I’m Noelle.”

“Noelle?” Chloe asked. “As in French for ‘Christmas?’”

“Yes, exactly,” Santa - Noelle - nodded. “It’s my name from the first of December to the thirty-first.”

“You have a different name the rest of the year, then?” Chloe surmised.

“I do,” Noelle nodded. “I’m not allowed to use it during December, though. Right now, I’m Santa Noelle.”

“I’m Chloe,” she introduced herself. 

“I know,” Noelle grinned. “Santa knows everything, remember,” she added with a wink. 

Chloe took a gulp from her wine. It was  _ really _ inappropriate, but she was liking Noelle more and more with every word and gesture. As it was, she was seriously crushing on Santa, of all people.

“So um, how long have you been Santa?”

“This was my third year,” Noelle responded instantly. “When dad retired, my brother was supposed to become Santa. He um… Christmas isn’t really his thing? I guess? And I turned out to be a natural - not to brag - so here I am. First female Santa in the history of… In history, period.”

“That’s pretty cool,” Chloe smiled. “How are people taking it? Santa being a woman, I mean.”

“Well, obviously, hardly anyone knows,” Noelle shrugged. “People aren’t actually supposed to see Santa, remember?”

“Okay, fair enough. Can I ask more questions?”

“Sure,” Noelle nodded, taking another sip from her wine.

“How do you deliver all presents in one night?”

“Christmas magic - you’re going to scoff, I know, but that’s how it works. Don’t try to reason with it, that doesn’t work. Trust me, I’ve tried. Heck, I’m  _ Santa _ and I barely believe in magic, but… Yeah. Christmas really is a magical time of year.”

“That makes so little sense, I would not even know where to begin arguing,” Chloe giggled. “God, I have so many questions.”

“The answer to ninety percent of them will be Christmas Magic,” Noelle grinned, nose adorably crinkled.

Ridiculous as it was, Chloe decided that she would forever regret this night if she did not at least see if she had a chance with Noelle. Taking a steadying breath, she reigned in her giggles. “What if my questions are for Noelle, and not for Santa?”

“Well, I’m having some trouble seeing the distinction,” Noelle started seriously, before cracking a small grin. “But I guess you’re free to ask.”

“How about… Does Santa have a husband?” Chloe asked, wiggling her eyebrows for good measure.

Noelle almost spat out the wine she was trying to drink at the question, barely managing to keep it in, powering through a coughing fit before she could respond. “Um, no. Santa… I mean…  _ I  _ don’t have a husband.”

“Hm,” Chloe hummed. “Boyfriend?”

“Nope,” Noelle shook her head. “Santa is one hundred percent single.”

“That’s good,” Chloe grinned, feeling emboldened by the wine. She could be wrong, of course, but she got the feeling Noelle knew where she was trying to steer their conversation, and so far she hadn’t dismissed it yet.

“Is it, though?” Noelle asked, placing her glass on the table and leaning back against the armrest, tucking one leg underneath her as she turned sideways. “Santa is a person too, Chloe. She can get lonely, you know,” Noelle grinned, eyes twinkling, and  _ damn _ .

Biting her lip, Chloe considered her response. It was crazy - CRAZY with capital letters - but it really looked like she could be hooking up with Santa tonight. “Well, maybe Santa should make a Christmas wish, then,” she smiled. 

Chloe waited with bated breath for Noelle’s response. Instead, the woman closed her eyes, turning her face towards the ceiling for a moment. Deciding to take one more chance tonight - and figuring this really couldn’t go wrong anymore - Chloe took the opportunity to scoot closer, bringing them almost nose to nose when Noelle opened her eyes again.

“Whoa, you’re close,” the woman breathed, breath smelling of mint. 

“Did I misinterpret-”

“No,” Noelle chuckled, licking her lips and immediately biting down on her bottom lip. “I think you got my Christmas wish right.”

Smiling insecurely, Chloe leaned further forward, hearing Noelle taking in a sharp breath. She smiled into their kiss the moment their lips touched. Noelle’s lips were soft against her own, and as Noelle pressed in, their lips slid over one another so smoothly, Chloe was sure she was going to faint.

Soft fingers caressed her cheeks, cradling her face as Noelle pulled back an inch, angled her head differently and pushed back in, connecting their lips with a passion Chloe hadn’t been expecting. In her eagerness, Noelle toppled them over, and Chloe giggled freely as she realized Santa was literally laying on top of her right now.

“Wasn’t that funny,” Noelle grouched with a pout.

“C’mere and kiss me some more,” Chloe smiled, tangling her fingers in the long brown tresses to pull Noelle closer. Knowing Noelle’s eagerness, Chloe really shouldn’t have been surprised when she felt a warm, soft wetness running over her bottom lip. But she was.

She was, in fact, so surprised she pulled away from the kiss, breathing heavily. “Was I-”

“Shut up,” Chloe husked, pulling Noelle back in. This time, when she felt that soft tongue asking for entrance, she parted her lips, welcoming the escalation of their kiss wholeheartedly. 

Noelle let out a soft moan as Chloe moved her tongue against hers, gripping her hair more tightly. She groaned deeply when she felt Noelle’s hand caressing her side, fingers exploring the curve of her ribs over the fabric of her shirt.

Chloe tried to reciprocate, finding the heavy, winter-sturdy Santa jacket to block any attempt she might want to make at exploring Noelle’s body. She hated the fact that Noelle broke their kiss, but was so happy when she sat back and began pulling at the belt keeping the jacket closed. “You have no idea how warm this thing is,” she huffed, shrugging the jacket off and tossing it off the couch. 

Chloe drank in the sight of Noelle, straddling her hips in her bra - which was appropriately red lace. She let her eyes wander over the gorgeous pale skin of the woman’s stomach and breasts. “Do you mind if I get rid of the pants, too? I’m going to die from a heatstroke,” Noelle asked, biting her lip in wait of Chloe’s response.

“I’m the last person to complain about you taking off more clothes,” Chloe smiled, reaching down for the hem of her own shirt and whipping it over her head.

“Oh, wow, okay, that happened,” Noelle blinked, eyes fixed on Chloe’s breasts. She wished she was wearing her sexier lingerie, but she really hadn’t been expecting tonight to go this way. At least it wasn’t one of her older house bras, she figured. 

Noelle looked down at her, smiling impishly. “I really Christmas-wish we’d just take everything off right away.”

“Well, who am I to deny Santa her Christmas wish?” Chloe asked with a responding grin, reaching behind herself to unsnap her bra. Noelle, meanwhile, got off the couch to pull the red pants down, kicking off the boots in the process. Before she had a chance to take off the red lace panties, Chloe hooked her fingers underneath them, looking up at Noelle with a clear question in her eyes.

“Yes,” she nodded in response, unsnapping her own bra as Chloe began pulling the panties down. Chloe was instantly torn between staring at Noelle’s breasts, or lowering her eyes to watch the panties being peeled away. 

She settled on watching her breasts, which swayed gently with every shimmy of Noelle’s hips. They looked so soft and before Chloe knew it, she was craning her neck, taking a nipple into her mouth as her hand grabbed a handful of Noelle’s ass, squeezing it as she pulled her closer.

“Oh,” Noelle groaned, throwing her head backwards for a moment, before letting it roll forward again, looking down. “Scoot back and let me back on the couch?”

Chloe did just that, moaning at the sight of Noelle straddling her again, now entirely devoid of clothing. Before she realized what happened, she felt slender fingers taking a hold of her breasts, massaging them as she rolled her nipples between her fingers, stiffening them.

“You… You are definitely the best Christmas present I’ve  _ ever _ gotten.”

“I agree,” Chloe groaned, letting her own hands take a hold of Noelle’s breasts, mirroring her actions and  _ really _ enjoying the way Noelle pushed her chest forward, as if she wanted nothing more than to feel Chloe’s hands on her body.

Maybe that was actually the case, Chloe realized as Noelle pressed down against her thigh, and Chloe felt a very distinct wetness. Relinquishing one of Noelle’s breasts, she let the hand run over her stomach, down through her pubes, and carefully skimming over the wetness below. 

“Oh, yes, that’s-” Noelle moaned, cutting herself off and bending down to lick at Chloe’s breast. “Don’t stop,” she murmured huskily as Chloe’s nipple slipped from between her lips. “Please keep going.”

Chloe let her fingers wander through Noelle’s wetness, memorizing exactly what made her moan, and what made her hips jerk, and what made her let out those airy sighs. She just thought she had her partner figured out when she suddenly felt cold, slender fingers running over her own sex, exploring in much the same way.

Knowing Noelle, too, was trying to figure out what worked, Chloe allowed herself to be as vocal as she could with a three-year-old sleeping upstairs. Noelle, too, seemed conscious of Lucy’s presence, muffling her louder moans and groans into Chloe’s shoulder, or the throw pillow squished between their bodies and the backrest. 

“Oh, I’m so close,” Noelle groaned hotly into Chloe’s ear. Wanting to make tonight a night Noelle would remember, Chloe pressed the pad of her finger against her clit, rubbing it in quick circles until she heard Noelle muffling a scream into the pillow next to them. Only when her muscles relaxed again did Chloe draw her hand away. 

The moment she did, Noelle’s fingers set to work in earnest, two of them slipping inside as if she  _ knew _ Chloe had been craving it, and the pad of her thumb brushing against her clit just-so with every stroke of those  _ magical _ fingers.

It took barely a minute for Chloe’s sex to clamp down on Noelle’s fingers, and she was grateful to her for using her other hand to muffle Chloe’s scream of ecstasy. The last thing she wanted was for Lucy to barge into the room while she was having sex with Santa. That’d be… hard to explain.

“God, that was fantastic,” Chloe sighed when she finally relaxed again and Noelle carefully extracted her fingers. 

“It definitely was. Merry Christmas, Chloe,” Noelle grinned, pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose.

\--

Opening her eyes, Chloe groggily blinked until her vision became clear again. Huffing out a breath to remove something sticky from her mouth, she quickly realized it was hair. With some wriggling, she managed to free a hand to wipe the brown strands from her mouth and eyes.

They must’ve fallen asleep on the couch - together. Apparently, Chloe had fallen asleep first, seeing as Noelle had taken her Santa coat and thrown it over them as a blanket.

“Momma! Momma, it’s Santa!”

“ _ Fuck!” _ Chloe hissed under her breath. 

The moment Lucy came running into the room, Chloe blinked, and then Noelle was suddenly standing next to the couch. She was fully dressed, albeit a little hastily, by the looks of it. Somehow, she had even managed to retrieve a blanket and throw it over Chloe to cover her up. “That is definitely not what my Christmas magic should be used for,” she muttered under her breath, wide-eyed.

Chloe was about to apologize, even if she wasn’t really certain what she would be apologizing for. Their night of passion? Lucy’s interruption? 

Before she could do so, however, Noelle broke out into a wide grin, dropping to her knees and spreading her arms to give Lucy a hug. “Hello Lucy! I am so happy I got to see you!”

“Santa!” Lucy squealed, jumping into Noelle’s arms. “It’s really you!”

“Yes, indeed!” Noelle exclaimed, just as enthusiastically as Lucy. “Oh my, oh my, would you look at that? You’ve grown so much this year!”

“I’m going to be a big girl, soon, Santa!” Lucy nodded earnestly. “What are you doing here? Is it still Christmas?”

“No,” Noelle shook her head. “But I came to make sure you liked all your presents. And in my haste, on Christmas Eve, I had forgotten the present for your mother, so I had to drop that off, too!”

“Oh, momma!” Lucy squealed. “It’s really Santa!”

“I know, sweetie,” Chloe smiled, clutching the blanket to her chest. 

Noelle patted Lucy’s head before getting back to her feet. “Now, as much as I’d love to stay and play with that big ol’ dollhouse of yours, Santa really needs to get going again,” she smiled apologetically. “I have a lot of important duties I need to take care of!”

“Bye Santa! Lucy waved excitedly, watching wide-eyed as Noelle stepped into the fireplace and floated upwards.

“Goodbye, Noelle,” Chloe muttered under her breath, unheard by everyone but herself.

\--

It had been five days since Chloe had watched Noelle’s Santa boots disappearing up her chimney. She hadn’t liked the way they had been forced to leave things one bit - honestly, she wasn’t even certain she’d ever see Noelle again. At first, she had been certain Noelle would contact her, somehow. But she hadn’t, and Chloe would be lying if she were to say that didn’t hurt. 

The thought of having to wait until Christmas again to see Santa was… painful.

But, she told herself, there was no use wallowing in that. Of course, Lucy had realized something was wrong the past few days, repeatedly asking whether Chloe hadn’t been happy with the gift Santa had brought her. 

Today, the first day of a new year, Chloe resolved to leave the past behind her. There was no use dwelling on it, anyway. She could hardly make her way to the North Pole and go asking around for Santa, after all.

“Don’t play with your food, sweetie,” she admonished Lucy, who was pushing the final bites of her pancake around listlessly. 

Lucy opened her mouth, undoubtedly with a bratty response, judging from her expression. Chloe would never know what it was, though, as their morning was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell. With a sigh, Chloe got to her feet, trudged to the door and pulled it open.

The moment she did, her eyes landed on a very welcome sight. The Santa outfit was gone, replaced by skinny jeans, a worn flannel, and a leather jacket with a few bright buttons pinned to the lapel. Even though it took some getting used to seeing her in regular clothes, this was definitely Noelle.

“Hi,” she smiled widely. “I’m Beca.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas everyone!   
> My friend very much insisted I publish part 2 as well, so here it is!  
> Hope you all have a very jolly holiday season! :)

“Santa!” a tiny blur screeched as she dashed past Chloe, tackling Noelle’s legs in a fierce hug. Chloe was about to intervene, but Noelle - Beca, now, apparently - easily bent down, scooping the little girl up and settling her on her hip. 

“Sshh, Luce,” she smiled easily. “We mustn’t tell other people I’m Santa. It’s a big secret to keep, so I’m going to need your help with that, okay?”

Lucy stared at her, wide-eyed, for a few seconds, before nodding earnestly. “I won’t tell anyone, Miss… What should I call you, then?”

“You can call me Beca.”

“Okay,” Lucy nodded determinately. “I won’t tell anyone our big secret, Beca! And mommy won’t, either… Right, mommy?”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Chloe smiled.

“Can I come in?” Beca asked with a crooked, yet insecure smile. 

Chloe stepped aside with a reassuring smile, seeing absolutely no reason for Noelle - Beca, she corrected herself again - to be hesitant about it. “Of course. Why wouldn’t you?”

“I um… I’m sorry about not contacting you over the past few days,” Beca sighed anxiously as she followed Chloe into the kitchen, Lucy hot on their heels. “It was just really hectic, you know. I had to get all my work done before I… stopped being Noelle, I guess. Beca Mitchell can’t do anything about Christmas. It has to be Noelle. And Polly - she’s my head elf, if I hadn’t mentioned her before - she gets really passive aggressive if I leave the North Pole before I get my business settled.”

“When you say ‘elf,’” Chloe asked, letting the question linger unfinished.

“Yes,” Beca nodded, before shaking her head. “But no. When I say ‘elf’ I mean the humans who help me out on the North Pole. Elf is a job, like Santa. Except being an elf is a full-time commitment, and being Santa is one month of very hard work that does not actually pay the bills in the real world.”

“That makes sense,” Chloe nodded. “So what does Beca do to pay the bills, then?”

“I produce music,” she shrugged as if that was not (almost) as amazing as being Santa. “But enough about me,” she added quickly, sitting down across the breakfast bar from Chloe. “Can we talk about… us?”

“Us?”

“Yeah,” she nodded thoughtfully. Chloe nodded, which Beca seemed to take as a sign to continue. “I really like you,” she told her. “And I know we’ve only known each other for so short a time, but I think you’re a wonderful person, full of optimism and kindness… and you’re very easy on the eyes, too.”

Chloe grinned, fondly remembering their night of passion as Beca continued. “And obviously it’s all a little quick, and things are a little complicated with me having my December-job-”

“That makes it sounds as if you’re a mall Santa, babe,” Chloe grinned with a wink.

“Babe?” Beca squeaked.

“Yeah,” Chloe winked easily. “Listen, Beca… I don’t know where this is going, or how it’s all going to work out. But I definitely want us to find out, together. I like you. Lucy likes you, obviously, because you’re Santa… But I think she’ll come to like you without the Santa part, too.”

“That… I’m really happy to hear that,” Beca grinned. “So I can take you out on a date?”

\--

Chloe groaned as she jammed her key into the lock and turned it. It had been a gruelling day at work, and her back was just about killing her right now. She was so grateful that Beca picked Lucy up every afternoon. When she had offered that, months ago now, it had seemed like a trivial thing, but it really took some of the pressure of Chloe’s days.

Not to mention Beca’s amazing backrubs, which took care of an entirely different pressure. Closing the door behind her, Chloe breathed in the delicious smells of dinner - apparently, Beca had started cooking early today, and judging from the smells, they were having something spicy tonight.

When she took off her coat and rounded the corner into the kitchen, she found the brunette next to the stove. She was absentmindedly stirring a pot, her laptop moved from her upstairs home-office to the breakfast bar, playing one of her newest tracks - clearly still a work in progress. 

Lucy was sitting on the couch, watching Disney channel on mute, humming along to the music playing from Beca’s laptop. “Hey, you’re home early,” Beca smiled when she turned around and noticed Chloe. 

“Yeah, decided I could leave early for a change. Ashley and Jessica will be fine to finish up.”

“Dinner won’t be ready for a while yet. You can go and take a shower or whatever,” Beca nodded, turning her attention to the pot again. Chloe frowned quizzically, stepping up to Beca and wrapping her arms around her waist, pulling her close. 

“Smells delicious,” she smiled into Beca’s shoulder.

“Thanks,” Beca smiled tightly. “Like I said, it’ll be a little while until it’s ready.”

Chloe hummed, wondering what was going on inside Beca’s head. They’d been inseparable for the past six months, and while not official, Beca had all but moved in, using the spare bedroom upstairs as her office. For her to be this distant and withdrawn was quite unlike her.

She quickly stopped by the couch to ruffle Lucy’s hair, earning her a giggle and a half-hearted slap at her hand. The little girl was growing so much, Chloe sometimes worried she’d be an adult before they even realized what was going on.

Deciding to leave Beca to work through whatever was going on in her pretty head, Chloe trudged upstairs for a hot shower, but only after making her girlfriend promise her another backrub tonight.

Beca didn’t actually bring anything of consequence up until much later that night, after dinner had long been finished and Lucy was sleeping soundly. And she started their conversation in the worst possible way.

“We need to talk.”

“Oh, boy,” Chloe sighed, placing two glasses of wine on the table and trying to relax into the couch. “Is this us breaking up?”

“No,” Beca shook her head with a roll of her eyes. “Why would you think that? Wait, do you want to break up?”

“Of course not, you idiot,” Chloe countered with a soft shove of her foot against Beca’s leg. “But you did make it sound so ominous.”

“Right. No, we’re not breaking up… It’s just that… well, it’s the twenty-fifth of November.”

She said it in such a tone, she made it sound really relevant. Meanwhile, Chloe just raised her eyebrows in a silent question, making her girlfriend scoff.

“Babe, did you honestly forget that I’m Santa?”

“Oh,” Chloe hummed. Honestly, from time to time, she did actually forget that tiny little tidbit of information. She’d been reminded of Santa, and Christmas, and general holiday cheer more and more lately, obviously, but she had failed to consider how it would impact them. “Right,” she nodded. “That means Noelle will be getting back to work soon, right?”

“Right,” Beca nodded. “The boys will be here to pick me up December first.”

“The boys?” Chloe asked, eyes narrowing.

“Jesus, no need to get jealous. I meant Rudolph, and Dasher and Prancer and Blitzen and Vixen and Cupid and Comet and-”

“Okay, okay, I get it,” Chloe interrupted with a giggle. “Wait, are those really their names?”

“Yes?” Beca answered, making it sound as a question. “What else would they be named?”

“I don’t know?” Chloe shrugged. “I just didn’t expect the traditional names to be correct.”

“Well, there is a reason they are the traditional names,” Beca smiled. “But we’re getting side-tracked. The sleigh will come pick me up in a few days-”

“And then we won’t see you for the entirety of December?” Chloe asked, pouting.

“That… is one of the possibilities, yes,” Beca nodded slowly. 

“But…?” Chloe asked, knowing one to be coming.

“But I was actually thinking you and Lucy could maybe… come to the North Pole with me and help organizing Christmas?”

“Are you… Becs, are you serious right now?”

“Well, yeah. I mean, I’m Santa, so Christmas is obviously a big part of my life. And I want to share that with you guys, because you’re a big part of my life, too, now.”

Chloe felt tears welling up in her eyes - it wasn’t often that Beca spoke of her feelings, and even less often she did so as openly as she had now. “That means a lot to me, to hear you say that,” she murmured with a wan smile. “But I can’t pull Lucy away from her life for an entire month…”

“Arrangements can be made, Chlo,” Beca offered. “If you want, there are ways to make stuff like this happen. I mean, I’ve spent December at the North Pole for as long as I can remember, all throughout high school and college. Remote learning is a thing, after all. And I’d… I’d really like you guys to join me.”

“Let me discuss it with Lucy tomorrow, okay?” Chloe smiled. “If she has no objections, then I guess we’ll go to the North Pole with you.”

“Do you really think a four-year-old is going to object to joining Santa at the North Pole?” Beca asked with an arched eyebrow.

“No, probably not,” Chloe conceded with a fond shake of her head. “Don’t you ever feel ridiculous? Talking about being Santa and going to the North Pole and having a flying sleigh?”

“All the time.”

\--

Obviously, Lucy readily agreed to spending December on the North Pole. Really, there had never been any doubt about it. Nevertheless, Chloe felt a little ridiculous, standing in the middle of the street at midnight, peering at the skies to see if she could spot the sleigh somewhere.

Beca was standing next to her, holding a large, old-fashioned pocket watch. “Thirty seconds until midnight,” she announced. “They’re cutting it close this year.”

“Maybe the reindeer are lost!” Lucy suggested, and Chloe wondered how her toddler could have so much energy at midnight.

“My reindeer don’t get lost, silly,” Beca scoffed. “How would I ever get all the gifts delivered if my reindeer ever got lost?”

“Mommy gets lost all the time,” Lucy stated matter-of-factly.

“Oh, I know,” Beca grinned.

“Thanks for that,” Chloe added dryly, jumping at the sudden ringing next to her. Beca smiled apologetically, stuffing the watch into the pocket of her festive red vest. Chloe had to do a double-take at the change - a few seconds ago, Beca had been wearing her usual leather jacket, and now she was suddenly in her full Santa get-up. “I guess that means we’ll start calling you Noelle again, huh?”

“That’d be best, yes,” Santa nodded, and as she did, the ringing of bells filled the air. Looking up, Chloe was just in time to see the sleigh landing on the far end of the street, the reindeer coming to a smooth stop right in front of them.

Noelle walked up to them, scratching their chins one after another. “You’re late, you lazy slackers,” she admonished them fondly. “Did Snowcone keep you all from leaving again?”

“How is no one else seeing this?” Chloe mused out loud, eyes roaming over the houses lining the street, many of them still having their lights on.

“Christmas Magic,” Noelle grinned.

“Of course,” Chloe nodded, lifting Lucy and placing her on the comfortable red-leather bench of the sleigh. “No seatbelts?”

“It’s a sleigh, Chlo,” Santa huffed, unimpressed. “It’s not a car.”

“What if we fall out?”

“No one’s ever fallen out of the sleigh, Chlo. I don’t even think that’s possible.”

“Christmas Magic?” Chloe asked amusedly.

“Probably,” Noelle responded dryly. “Now get in, before we leave without you. The entire North Pole is literally waiting for us to arrive. The elves are probably all abuzz.”

“How is this my life?” Chloe wondered out loud, climbing into the sleigh and sitting down next to Noelle, Lucy squished in between them. To her surprise, Santa handed her and Lucy the reigns. “Just flick them,” she smiled gently.

Lucy looked beyond excited, and even Chloe couldn’t deny this was pretty awesome. Together, they flicked the reigns, and the reindeer set off in a rapid trot. Once they reached the McDonald’s at the end of the street, the sleigh soared over the bright yellow logo, Lucy and Chloe both whooping excitedly.

They flew higher and higher, until the houses beneath them were only pins of light, and Chloe realized Beca had been right when she said they shouldn’t wear too many layers, because the sleigh wasn’t actually that cold at all. Somehow, the wind, which should be freezing, was just slightly chilly.

“This is amazing, babe,” Chloe murmured, her mouth close to Santa’s ear. “Thanks for taking us.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Noelle smiled brightly, and even in the darkness Chloe could make out a faint glow around her. Christmas Magic, she guessed. 

She wasn’t certain how long it took for Lucy to tire out and fall asleep, and Noelle moved around the sleigh with practiced ease, picking her up and laying her down on the bench in the back, tucking her underneath a tacky Christmas blanket. 

“Where are we?” Chloe asked once Noelle made it back to the front, clambering over the backrest in a way that gave Chloe a terrible fright. Santa popped her head out the sleigh, peering down at the ground below them, nothing but a dark blanket, with lines of light criss-crossing over it. “We’re flying over Ohio now.”

“You can tell from up here?” Chloe asked, impressed.

“Chloe, I’m Santa,” she drawled. “I’d be terrible at my job if I didn’t know my States. 

“Yeah, but… You know what, I’m just going to accept these weird quirks,” she decided out loud.

“That would be wise, yes. I take it you’re enjoying the sleigh ride, though?”

“Yeah,” Chloe breathed quietly, looking at a line of light that had to be the interstate. “This is amazing.”

“You know,” Noelle drawled. “My dad actually told me the ladies really dig the sleigh. I thought he was joking but…”

“Ohmygod!” Chloe gasped. “I’m on my way to meet your parents!”

“Uh, yeah, I guess,” Noelle nodded, as if she only now considered that herself. “I’m sure he’ll love you, though. He remembered you from back in the day.”

“Back in the day?” Chloe asked, puzzled. She was fairly certain she’d never met the man.

“You’re flying in a sleigh with Santa,” Noelle drawled. “But you forget that my father was Santa before me? He’s literally the man that brought your gifts when you were little.”

“Huh,” Chloe hummed. “I mustn’t forget to thank him for that time Santa brought me a bike, then.”

Chloe cuddled up to her girlfriend’s side, melting into her as she let her head rest on the soft fabric of Noelle’s shoulder. She couldn’t help admiring the way she looked tugging the reigns a little every few minutes, keeping the reindeer on course, occasionally peering over the edge of the sleigh, presumably to navigate. 

“So um,” she whispered after a while. “Is there a no-sex-rule in this sleigh?”

Noelle made a sound as if she swallowed her own tongue, followed by a brief coughing fit. “Sweet Stockings, babe, you can’t ask me stuff like that with Luce sleeping in the back.”

“I wasn’t saying we had to do it right now,” Chloe grinned impishly. “I was just wondering.”

Noelle shook her head fondly, but didn’t actually answer. Almost an hour later, when they were flying halfway across Canada, she cleared her throat. 

“There isn’t, by the way.”

\--

“I know it’s Christmas Magic,” Chloe chuckled, “but how did no one ever find Santa’s village on the North Pole?” she asked, taking in the lights in the distance below them. “It looks like a theme park.”

“You should wake Luce up,” Noelle smiled gently. “She’d never forgive us if she missed our landing on the North Pole.”

Realizing she was right, Chloe leaned over the back of their seat, gently shaking Lucy awake. “Hey sweetie, we’re almost at the North Pole!”

“Really?” Lucy asked, immediately sitting up and peering over the edge. “Oh, mom, look!”

“No funny business, Prancer!” Noelle called out, taking a firmer hold of the reigns. “If you land us in the central tree again, you’re fired!”

One of the reindeer made a sound that could only be a disagreement. “Oh, you bet your furry butt!” Noelle called back. “I’d sooner put Snowcone in a harness than land in the tree again!”

Chloe admired Noelle, the way she kept the reindeer in check, even though one of them was rather obviously trying to veer too much to the left. “Prancer, I’m warning you!” she called again. “Don’t test me, buddy. I’m not as lenient as my old man was with you!”

The sleigh rocked a little when it connected to the ground again for the first time in hours, the snow softening their landing a little. In a slow, graceful arc, Noelle steered them to a large barn, where a group of festively dressed people were applauding her. “Hey you guys!” she beamed brightly, waving at the gathered group. “How’ve you all been?”

“Noelle!” a stern, older woman called over the cheers of the others.

“Hello, Polly,” Noelle grinned, getting up and hopping out of the sleigh, immediately turning around to help Chloe and Lucy. “Careful, it’s slippery here,” she smiled. “Polly, you get the honor of meeting Chloe and her daughter Lucy first of all.”

Polly’s stern face immediately broke in a welcoming smile. “Ah, we’re delighted to be having you, girls,” she smiled, rubbing a mittened hand over Lucy’s head, as well as Chloe’s cheek. “You must be exhausted from the journey, no?”

“I slept all the way,” Lucy grinned toothily.

“As you should, little missy,” Polly nodded. “Come on, I’ll show you your room.”

“Can I go with the old lady, mom?” Lucy asked, one hand already clasped in Polly’s.

At Noelle’s nod, Chloe nodded too. “Not to worry, dear. We’ve cleared the room next to Noelle’s bedroom for her. You can check up on her after you get settled.”

“Thank you,” Chloe smiled. “She’s not nearly as bad as you made me believe,” she added to Noelle once Polly had left. 

“That’s because you’re not Santa,” Noelle grinned, pulling Chloe towards the group of gathered people, introducing each of the elves by name. It took almost half an hour before they were free to continue, and Noelle escorted her to the large house that stood slightly taller than the rest of the buildings. “So, this is my holiday abode,” she gestured. “Obviously, I share it with my parents, who live here full-time now.”

She opened the door, and Chloe instantly sighed at the warmth leaking through the small opening. Inside, they found a massive room with the largest fireplace Chloe had ever seen. In front of it, dressed in old-fashioned red pajamas, stood a man that resembled the classic images of Santa to a tee. 

“Mr. Santa,” Chloe gasped, three sets of eyes turning her way.

“Ah, Little Chloe!” the old man smiled widely. “It has been such a very long time! Look at you, all grown up into a beautiful young woman! Oh, and it’s just Mr. Kringle now. Noelle is Santa, nowadays.”

“Chloe has the habit of forgetting that,” Noelle shrugged. “Is Lu- ahem. Nicholas here yet?”

“He’s at the factory,” an older woman, who had to be Beca’s mother, by the looks of her, responded warmly. “While he was most assuredly not cut out as Santa, he’s really found his place in the toy factory.”

“When did he get here?” Noelle asked, taking off her hat and dropping it on the table, breaking out into a massive grin as Polly entered the room with a tray of steaming mugs. “Oh, hot choco! Polly makes the best hot choco, Chlo. You really need to try this.”

“Oh, yeah, like I needed convincing,” she smiled, gratefully accepting the warm mug from Polly. “Thank you.”

“Ah, such manners,” Polly nodded. “You could teach Noelle a thing or two.”

“Hey!” Noelle gasped, swatting at the head elf. “Keep this up and I’ll crack the whip this year. Maybe grandpa had the right idea.”

“Now, now,” Polly tutted. “You’re nothing like your grandpa. He was actually a very impressive person.”

“That hurts,” Noelle pouted.

“You’ll get over it dear,” Polly smiled sweetly, patting her head.

“Ah, it’s good to have you back, Noelle,” Mr. Kringle smiled, wiping some chocolate from his white mustache. “How has your year been?”

Chloe gasped as Noelle literally began to shake. “Better than ever before!”

“Ah, I do think we know the reason for that,” Mrs. Kringle smiled, winking at Chloe. “You bringing her here… are we to assume you two are serious then?”

“Yes,” Chloe responded before Noelle could. “Noelle and I plan to spend the rest of our lives together,” she continued, before looking over at her. “Right?”

“We sure are, if I have a say in it.”

\--

“Your daughter has been up for a few hours,” Polly informed her as soon as she sat down at the breakfast table. “She’s helping the elves brushing down the reindeer. Unlike Noelle, she’s actually making herself useful.”

“Don’t be too hard on Noelle,” Chloe smiled gently. 

“Oh, but I must,” Polly nodded. “I’m like her sour, sarcastic aunt. It’s almost literally in my job description.”

“How long have you been a Christmas Elf for?” Chloe asked. “How did you even get into this profession?”

“Oh, I started under Noelle’s grandfather - both my parents were elves, too, so it was the logical choice. I do pray I won’t have to serve under another Santa, though.”

“Why’s that?”

“That’s because it means I’m doing my job right,” Noelle responded in her stead as she walked into the room, already wearing her Santa suit. “Santa’s generally last somewhere between twenty and forty years. If I do my job right, Polly can retire before someone takes over.”

Polly smiled tightly, excusing herself with a meaningful look at Noelle.

“What was that about?” Chloe asked, reaching for the hot buns.

“Yes…” Noelle sighed. “That is, I suppose, a conversation we might as well have right now. Remember, last night, when you said we planned to spend our lives together?”

“Of course,” Chloe nodded.

“Well, as far as I know, I’m the first gay Santa,” Noelle smiled awkwardly. “Which means I won’t have biological offspring to pass the Santa hat too.”

“Oh…” Chloe murmured. “Does that mean you need to… like… um… Get impregnated or something?”

“What?!” Noelle gasped, dropping her cutlery. “Dude, no!”

“Oh, good,” Chloe sighed. “I’m not sure I’d be okay with that.”

“I may actually be about to suggest something else you’re not okay with,” Noelle grimaced. “I was actually hoping that… if we do stay together… I could train Lucy to be the next Santa.”

Chloe blinked several times in close succession. “You… want to make my daughter Santa?”

“If she wants it too, of course,” Noelle clarified. “And not for at least another twenty-five years, at least. I love my job and plan to do it as long as I can… But I do need to consider the logistics… If I fail to train a new Santa… Well, Christmas would literally cease to exist.”

Chloe gave a few slow nods. “As long as everything we do is okay with Lucy… It’s fine with me, too,” she smiled. “Though I never, in my wildest dreams, thought my daughter might become Santa, some day.”

Noelle gave a little shrug. “Not going to lie, I’ve been worrying about succession ever since we discovered that my brother was never going to make it as Santa…”

“I imagine it must be a pretty heavy responsibility,” Chloe smiled, taking Noelle’s hand. “Not only do you need to facilitate Christmas every year, you also have the future of the holidays on your shoulders…”

“Yeah,” Noelle sighed. “It’s looking to be a lot better this year, though.”

“So, what’s on your schedule today?”

“I need to inspect the factories,” Noelle listed off, “meaning I’ll give you and Luce a tour, while we’re there. Lucy will love it, I’m sure. Then I need to meet the Elf Council, which is boring, so you two should go like, ice skating or something. After that, I’ll make a start with the naughty-or-nice list. I’ll be sure to make time for lunch with you, somewhere in between. Then, from dinner to bedtime, I’m all yours.”

“Any chance of a sleigh ride without Lucy?” Chloe asked, wiggling her eyebrows, giggling at Noelle’s blush.

“I um… think I can arrange that.”

They enjoyed the best breakfast Chloe had seen in a long time, and it was strangely relaxing, not having to worry about work for a month. Somehow, her boss hadn’t made a fuss about her taking an entire month off, even though he had given her a few weird looks when she’d told him she had a trip to the North Pole planned.

“Polly!” Noelle called once they were finished. “Let’s get a-going! It’s going to be a busy year, and we both know you’ve been slacking off while I was gone!”

“Slacking off?” Polly frowned, stepping into the dining hall. “You mistake me for you.”

“Ouch,” Noelle winced, clutching at her chest. “You wound me.”

“That would be my job,” Polly smiled. “Come, child. Your brother isn’t ready yet. We’ll get to work on the list until then, yes?”

\--

The toy factory had been amazing. There were several factories, really, all of them connected by underground tunnels that had been carved into the ice. Thousands of elves were labouring to create the toys, and still they found time to prank each other, have fun and relaxed conversations while working, and profusely ‘test’ the results of their labors. 

The best thing of all, however, had been the pride shining in Noelle’s eyes as she showed them around, pointing out every little detail she could think of.

Right now, Noelle and Polly were locked in Santa’s office, working on the list again, while Lucy was soundly sleeping in front of the fireplace. “So, how does it feel to be Santa’s girlfriend?” a voice came from the doorway. Turning around, Chloe found Mrs. Kringle standing there, two mugs of hot choco in her hands.

“It’s… a lot,” Chloe smiled earnestly. “Until about a year ago, I didn’t even believe in Santa anymore.”

“Ah, I remember how that felt,” the older woman smiled. “I, too, stopped believing in Santa. That was before my husband - Santa at the time, as you know - crashed his sleigh into my living room.”

“He did what?” Chloe laughed.

“Right through the window, slammed away half the wall. Could’ve killed me, the old fool, just because he didn’t want to keep Prancer in check.”

“That explains why Noelle was so hard on him,” Chloe nodded with a smile.

“Hm,” Mrs. Kringle agreed. “He used Christmas Magic to fix everything up and make me forget, of course. Except I didn’t forget. I waited up for him the next year… Ah, the memories. We spent the night, not unlike the way you and Noelle spent the night, if I’m not mistaken,” she smiled.

Chloe felt her ears burning up at the insinuation. 

“That being said, being married to Santa hasn’t always been easy,” the older woman continued. “I got tired of spending every December away from my family. One year, I chose not to accompany my husband here, to the North Pole… We were both miserable, that year. Worst Christmas of my life, I think... Well, listen to me, prattling like an old woman… I actually came here to talk to you. You must have a thousand questions.”

“Not really,” Chloe smiled gently, blowing on her drink to cool it off. “Just one, really.”

“Well, then I’d be happy to answer it, if I can.”

“All the years you were with your husband, while he was Santa… Was it worth it?”

“Oh, most assuredly,” Mrs. Kringle nodded instantly. “Not once have I thought otherwise. It was not always easy… But it was always worth it.”

“That’s all I need to know.”

\--

Christmas Eve was rapidly approaching, and Noelle, more than anyone else on the North Pole, was filled with nervous energy. Chloe understood all too well. Tonight, Noelle would fly out, delivering presents to all children across the world. A tremendous responsibility.

“Chloe,” Santa spoke up suddenly. “Walk with me?”

Linking their arms together, Noelle led them outside, warmly bundled up, their joined hands buried deep in the pockets of Noelle’s red vest. They walked through the ankle-high snow, and Chloe was tremendously grateful for the boots Noelle had gifted her.

“What’s on your mind?” she asked as they walked.

“Lot’s of things, really,” Noelle smiled tightly.

“But everything’s okay, right? You got the list done in time, all the presents are ready and loaded, your reindeer are in good shape-”

“I’m not worried about Christmas,” Noelle interrupted gently, squeezing her hand. “This is my fourth year, I’m pretty sure I got Christmas down to a tee by now.”

“Don’t let Polly hear you say that,” Chloe grinned cheekily.

“Yeah, true,” Noelle nodded, continuing to walk in silence.

They walked past the massive Christmas tree in the center of the square when Chloe spoke again. “If not Christmas, then what has gotten you all aflutter?”

She gasped as Noelle took their hands out of her pocket, the cold air stinging her bare fingers unexpectedly. She gasped again, for an entirely different reason, when Noelle suddenly dropped to one knee in front of her.

“Chloe Beale… I love you, with all my heart, as both Noelle Kringle and Beca Mitchell… You’ve brought an entirely new kind of magic into my life - one that rivals the magic of Christmas - and I would be the happiest woman in the world if I could live that magic the rest of my life. So, on this Christmas Eve, I can think of no better gift than to hear you say you will be my wife.”

Chloe felt the hot tears streaming down her cheeks, trembling hands covering her mouth. All around them, elves were watching them, and the entire North Pole seemed to be holding their breath. 

It was surreal that this amazing, exceptional woman, with her two names and her job as genuine Santa, was sitting there on one knee, proposing to her with the prettiest silver ring Chloe had ever seen, looking up at her with watery eyes and an expression that bled love and devotion.

“Please say something,” Noelle grinned nervously. “Or like, a nod of your head. Anything?”

“Yes,” Chloe blurted. “Yes! Of course I’ll marry you, Noelle. You, Beca, Santa, music producer… all of it. You’re my life, and… Yes, I’ll marry you, my love.”

Pulling her up, Chloe pulled Noelle close, capturing her lips in a sweet kiss as the elves around them exploded in raucous cheers.

“Merry Christmas, my love.”

**Author's Note:**

> In the spirit of full disclose: there is a second part of this story.  
> I'm still on the fence whether or not I should publish it.


End file.
